Executive Summary
- Volunteer veterans located a vehicle missing since 2003 in Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway using side-scan sonar.
- Recovered evidence includes a driver’s license, skeletal remains, and medical hardware consistent with Mary Lou Combs.
- Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly indicated the findings strongly suggest the remains are Combs, pending DNA confirmation.
- The vehicle was discovered 180 feet upstream from the road, deeply submerged in mud.
Volunteer divers with military backgrounds have recovered a vehicle and human remains believed to belong to Mary Lou Combs, a Florida woman missing since 2003, bringing a potential close to a two-decade-old cold case. The discovery was made in the Intracoastal Waterway in Flagler County by the volunteer group Recon Dive Recovery, according to reports from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Marine Corps veteran Ken Fleming and Navy veteran Vern Shurtz utilized side-scan sonar technology to locate the submerged 1996 Dodge Neon. The vehicle was found near 18th Road, deeply embedded in mud and debris. Investigators noted the car had drifted approximately 180 feet upstream from where it likely entered the water, complicating previous search efforts.
Upon dredging the interior of the corroded vehicle, divers recovered significant physical evidence. According to Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, the items included a Florida driver’s license issued to Combs, a shoe matching her size, and skeletal remains containing a metal plate consistent with Combs’ documented ankle surgery. A pelvic bone was also retrieved to facilitate DNA analysis.
Sheriff Staly stated that while the physical evidence “strongly suggests” the remains are those of Combs, a final confirmation will be made by the medical examiner through DNA testing. Preliminary assessments by law enforcement suggest Combs may have accidentally driven off the roadway into the water. Her daughter, Natasha Harper, identified children’s toys and a car seat found within the wreckage as belonging to the family.
Investigative Outlook
This recovery highlights the critical role of specialized volunteer groups in resolving long-standing missing persons cases. While local law enforcement agencies often face resource constraints regarding dormant files, veteran-led teams employing advanced sonar technology are increasingly successful in locating submerged vehicles missed during initial investigations. The focus now shifts to the forensic identification process to provide official legal closure for the family.
